The Bending And Breaking Affair
by Gevaudan
Summary: Please R+R. Please.....even if you hate it.


Bending and Breaking   
Epilogue to the Fox and Hounds Affair   
UNCLE agents throughout the New York branch were secretly heaving a sigh of relief. Thrush's latest attempt to establish a satrap in New York had been foiled. Their major base, in a funeral parlour had been discovered when they had kidnapped Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo in order to interrogate them for the location of a mind reading machine.   
Thankfully, the agents, as always, had come through. UNCLE New York was safe from discovery for at least a short while.   
Illya Kuryakin was less happy as is long time partner and best friend, Napoleon Solo had noticed as he entered the office that morning.   
"Good morning, Illya!" he exclaimed cheerfully.   
A subdued, "morning," was his reply.   
Solo eyed his partner up, despite his usual Russian stoicism his partner seemed subdued. The glint of humour normally present in his blue eyes was missing and he didn't even lift his eyes to nod a greeting to his partner. Solo sensed that something was bothering his friend, you didn't partner someone for seven years without some sort of indication as to when they were upset or depressed.   
"What's the matter, tovarish?" he asked, trying to keep a light bantering tone to mask his concern, "weather not cold enough for you?"   
Illya didn't reply, in fact he didn't even make any move to suggest to Napoleon that he had heard his query.   
"Illya? Are you all right?" asked Napoleon again, trying hard to hide concern from his voice.   
"I am fine, Napoleon," snapped Illya forcefully, "I am, however very busy catching up on work you have shirked."   
"Gee, I"m sorry, I was only trying to be polite."   
"You were prying Napoleon."  
"Well, yes, but only in your best possible interests."   
Illya sighed, it was obvious that this was one interrogation that wouldn't be stopped if he didn't give an answer.   
"didn't give an answer," he thought to himself, "but I will, if THRUSH has broken me in their interrogation, Napoleon will surely manage to do the same. I am obviously no longer fit to be a field agent, if I maintain my position I am just putting everyone at UNCLE, April, Mark, Mr Waverly,Napoleon, in danger, and that I cannot live with."Napoleon watched his partner, concerned. He was obviously deep in thought about whatever it was that was troubling him, and Napoleon's last comment had been a trigger. He took a seat quietly and waited for Illya to start the conversation if he wanted to.  
"Napoleon?" Solo started at the voice and looked up at his partner,."I'm going to the commissary for a coffee. This," he gestured at the report, "is driving me insane. Would you like anything?"   
"Yes. I"ll have a coffee if you're paying."   
Illya snorted."Do I have a choice?"   
"Well, seeing as I am the senior agent, no."   
Illya left, shaking his head at how easily he had been manipulated." Manipulated. Used as pawn for THRUSH's plan weren't you, Illya Nikovetch?" he thought to himself, "They wanted to know something and you went ahead and told them. Putting everything at risk. The thought translator and the agent assigned to protect it, UNCLE, the world." Illya walked mindlessly down the corridor, occupied with thoughts of his own inadequacy.   
Napoleon waited until his partners footsteps could no longer be heard down the corridor then stole across the office to see what his partner had been working on. He was shocked and horrified by what he saw.   
Mr Solo, I am hereby tendering my resignation as Section 2, Number 2,and requesting reassignment to Section 4. If this transfer cannot bearranged I am prepared to retired as an UNCLE agent entirely. This resignation is being submitted for personal reasons and not due to the working conditions within UNCLE.   
Yours Sincerely,Illya N. Kuryakin.   
Napoleon sat down in shock. Resignation? He didn't understand what had driven his partner to it. He had said in his letter it was for personal reasons. Napoleon planned how to confront his partner, when, if, here turned.   
Illya entered the office and wasn't entirely surprised to see Napoleon glaring at him from the desk. "What is the matter Napoleon?" he asked tiredly, his voice devoid of energy, his eyes devoid of life.   
"What"s the matter?" mimicked Napoleon angrily, "this!," he thrust the letter of resignation in his blond partner's face, "Why, Illya?"   
"The letter says why." Illya replied, cold, detached, hiding the anguish that was tearing him apart. The pain he saw reflected in his partner's eyes didn't help and his voice cracked slightly." I can't go on being your partner."   
"What?!"   
"You heard what I said. Don"t make me repeat myself."   
"Why? Is it something I've said?"   
"No."   
"Something I did?"   
"No. Something I did."   
"What?"   
"Thrush."   
"What? No...."   
Illya saw the suspicion run through his partner's eyes.  
"Don't worry Napoleon I am not a double agent."   
"I never said..."   
"You didn't need to."   
"Sorry. Then what about Thrush?"   
"I...." Illya broke off, aware of the ramifications, if he revealed the cause of his apprehension.   
Napoleon nodded to him in encouragement.   
"I can"t be your partner because of what happened with Mimi."   
"Mimi Dolittle?"   
"Yes. Well, not her specifically, but Marton's littler friend. She interrogated me and I told her everything. I should never have done that."   
Napoleon was surprised that his partner had revealed the source of his discomfort, for him to do that it must have been preying on his mind for a considerable amount of time."It wasn"t your fault tovarish," he said gently, knowing his friend would never accept the placating, he was right.   
"Then whose fault is it Napoleon? Hers for interrogating me? I should have expected it. I should have been ready for it."   
"Ready for what?"   
"Well, they given us all subliminal conditioning to resist that sort of drug induced interrogation."   
"Illya, that was a new drug, one designed to break through that training so that you would tell them everything.""It didn't work with you."   
"Is that what"s worrying you?" Napoleon asked, realisation setting in.   
"Illya, it did work with me. I gave them answers to everything they asked me, before you even arrived on the scene. I didn't know anything. Icouldn't tell them anything because I knew less of what was happening than they did. And that's all that protected me."   
"But...."   
"But nothing Illya! You aren't superman. None of us are. THRUSH didn't break you. A lesser agent they would have. You resisted longer than anyone else could have. You resisted it longer than me. They didn't break you Illya...just bent your resistance a little bit and no one can hold that against you. it happens to all of us."  
Illya opened his mouth to argue.   
"Illya listen. Everyone in this organisation who is or was interrogated by THRUSH has revealed things. Most of them have broken, but those that do break under a lot less pressure than THRUSH have put on you over the years. I still want you in Section 2 Illya, as my partner."   
Illya looked up then, the spark that has been missing from his eyes for the last week returned. He nodded his acceptance.   
"Give me that." he said of his resignation.   
Napoleon nervously handed it over and sighed in relief as his partner ripped it up.   
"What our next assignment?" he asked, with a smile.   
The End   
  
  
  



End file.
